Having sold food to train passengers for over a decade, Sularno and Sarino have a collection of bittersweet memories.
11 November 2015 13:00
Brilio.net/en - It is 3 oclock in the morning and Sularno and Sarino, owners of an Angkringan (traditional food stall) located in front of Lempuyangan train station, are gearing up to begin their day.
The hardworking duo open their stall for business before the crack of dawn, so that they can begin their day serving passengers on board the very first train from Jakarta - passengers who are either in transit, or wind up in Yogyakarta as their final destination.
We begin our activities at 3 oclock in the morning. We start by arranging the food so that when the first train arrives, we are ready to serve the hungry passengers who alight, Sarino said in conversation with brilio.net/en, Wednesday morning (26/8).
Passengers usually come to the angkringan looking for snacks.
Some passengers like to come here, and they enjoy coffee or other beverages while waiting for their relatives to pick them up, or, they wait to watch the sun rise before they leave, said Sarino.
Once the sun rises, the pace picks up, and the stall quickly becomes crowded.
One of the main dishes on the menu is nasi kucing (an Indonesian rice dish with chili sauce, and a choice of dried fish or fermented soy bean cake also known as tempeh wrapped in banana leaves), with a fried side dish, tempeh bacem (Javanese sweet marinated tempeh), tofu, and various types of satay.
I just arrived from Jakarta, and have decided to come here. The food on the menu is tasty and cheap, said Dewi, a passenger who was eating nasi kucing for breakfast.
With grueling 16-hour work days, the dynamic duo barely catches a break. This stall will close at 7 p.m. We then rest, only to start our activities again at 3 oclock tomorrow morning, Sarinos partner, Sularno said.
But this wasnt always how it used to be for them. Once upon a time, they sold their food and snacks out of a food cart that they were able to set up within the walls of the station area.
Before the restrictions imposed by the railway company (Kereta Api Indonesia or KAI), we were free to bring our food cart into the station area. Now, we have to obey the new rules.
Nevertheless, I am grateful for whatever income we manage to bring in,said Sularno.
And with 15 years and counting, Sularno and Sarino remain optimistic about their future.
